The Name in the Contract
by Ziek Aramaik
Summary: The Protagonist is a blank slate that can be filled in any way the player chooses... So let's fill him in a few different ways. Current name: Takashi Natsume (Natsume's Book of Friends)
1. Welcome to Inaba

_**The Boy with the Sight and the New Beginning**_

A teenage boy slowly woke up. He remembered being on a train, but for some reason found himself in a limousine now. Everything was a dark blue color. It was far more luxurious than how he imagined a real limousine to look.

Sitting directly across from the boy was a long-nosed old man in a black suit. Sitting at his side was a distinguised-looking woman. The boy thought she looked a little similar to himself, but her platinum blond hair and yellow eyes seemed even more unearthly, though very beautiful.

The long-nosed man opened his bulging eyes. "Welcome to the Velvet Room."

The boy stared at him calmly.

"Hmm... I expected this to seem rather strange to you, but you don't appear a bit alarmed."

"I'm used to it," he replied. "Besides, I've seen your kind before."

"Wait, what?" The man's classy demeanor was replaced by puzzlement. "My kind?"

"Aren't you a tengu?" he asked.

The long-nosed man frowned. The woman at his side stifled a laugh.

"I'm not a tengu... My name is Igor. I am... delighted... to make your acquaintance. Just so you are aware, you are fast asleep in the real world. This room exists between dream and reality - mind and matter. I have summoned you here within your dreams."

"Why?" the boy asked. He met with supernatural beings countless times before, but this was the first time someone made contact within his mind.

"Because you have an intriguing destiny," Igor explained with a smile. "I am already aware that you possess the 'sight,' and that has been a significant influence in your past. But the coming year will mark a turning point in your future. My duty is to provide assistance to our guests, to ensure that future is not lost.

"Before we continue, I should mention that only those who are bound by a 'contract' of some form or another may enter this room."

"A contract...?"

Igor gestured to an open notebook and pen on the table between them. The boy didn't notice the book a moment ago. It was as if it formed out of the very air when Igor gestured. It was called a contract, but the page was blank.

He hesitated. This wouldn't be the first time a supernatural creature tried to trick him into doing something he'd regret.

As if reading his thoughts, Igor said, "Do not worry. I am not binding you to do anything on my behalf. On the contrary, this contract simply states that you will assume responsibility for all decisions you may make."

"I've been doing that all along anyway," he replied. And so, he wrote his name down on the blank page.

_Natsume, Takashi_

"Ah! I have neglected to introduce my assistant." Igor gestured to the woman on his left. "This is Margaret. She is a resident of this room, like myself."

She nodded. "My name is Margaret. I am here to accompany you through your journey."

Igor looked back to Takashi. "In the coming days, you will become aware of a special 'power,' after which you will return here. We shall attend to the details at that time. Until then, farewell."

Takashi stared at Igor. "So you're really not a ten-"

"No."

.

_Ever since I was little, I've seen weird things._

_Things other people can't see._

_They're creatures called yokai._

April - 11 - 2011

Takashi Nastume slowly woke up for real. He was sitting alone on the train. He was moving to a new town to live with a new relative. It was something he experienced countless times before. Ever since his parents died, he was always getting shuffled around between increasingly distant relatives.

Sometimes it was horrible from the start. Sometimes it would be all right at first, but then he would act suspicious or say things the adults wouldn't understand. Nobody could see the supernatural like him.

"I definitely can't tell them about that dream I had... if it was a dream," he mumbled.

As Takashi got older, he learned to pretend that he didn't see strange things, but it was already too late. He couldn't escape his reputation as a troubled child, just as he couldn't really ignore the creatures around him. It was part of the reason he never stayed in any one place for very long.

.

_"Dojima-san," the man on the telephone said. "Every time someone asks you to take him for a while you always try get out of it."_

_Takashi stood around the hallway corner. He didn't know why he was eavesdropping. He'd heard it all before._

_"I know you're going through a hard time, but so are we. We can barely feed our own family! It's just you and your daughter there, right? Can't you watch him for just a few months?"_

_Takashi, with a perfectly neutral expression, walked towards his shared room and prepared to pack his things. He was actually a little grateful to go to a different house - This one had soot sprites hanging from the ceiling, constantly snickering at him, not that anybody else heard them._

.

Takashi became upset again when he realized he would be living out in the countryside. The world of the supernatural is everywhere, but as you go further from industrialized cities and closer to nature, there are naturally more yokai. It was just like regular wildlife. But there was nothing Takashi could do about it.

He readjusted the duffel bag on his shoulder and walked out of the train station. The first thing he did outside was take a deep breath of the fresh air. As hectic as county life could be for him, Takashi realized how much he missed it. While his last address was in the city, he was born around the mountain area. Takashi had many memories - good and bad - of being in a county town like this. It was the closest he ever felt to being "home."

He allowed a faint smile on his face.

"Hey, over here!"

Takashi looked over to the voice's source. He saw a man and a little girl standing in front of a parked van. The man was middle-aged with tanned skin and stubble. The girl looked about seven and wore pigtails. Takashi promptly walked over.

The taller man extended his hand. Takashi gave a real-looking smile and shook it. "Hello. I'm Takashi Natsume."

"Well, you're more handsome in person than in your photo."

"Uh, t-thank you, sir." He wasn't expecting the compliment. Takashi realized he was trying to make a good first impression. New guardians were always polite at first... Most always.

The handshake ended. "Welcome to Inaba. I'm Ryotaro Dojima. I'll be looking after you."

"Thank you, sir," Takashi repeated. "It's nice to meet you."

Dojima chuckled. "Don't be so formal. Besides, we already met. Though, I guess you wouldn't remember. I watched you when you were a baby a few times."

"Oh, is that so?" It was hard to keep track of which relatives had a turn with him and which ones didn't. His eyes wandered to the small girl standing behind Dojima's leg.

Dojima pushed her forward. "This here's my daughter. C'mon, Nanako, introduce yourself to your cousin." Takashi wasn't a literal cousin, but there was no better word for a relative so many times removed.

He was called family, but Nanako obviously didn't know this person. Nervous around this stranger, she shyly diverted her eyes and grabbed onto her dad's pant leg.

Takashi saw some of himself in the girl. He used to be shy like that too when meeting relatives, before he learned how important it was to put effort into first impressions. As he grew older his shyness evolved into formal distance.

Dojima looked between the two reserved children and began to feel the awkwardness of the non-introduction. "Alright then, let's get going."

He opened the van door for Takashi, who placed his single duffel bag inside. Dojima raised an eyebrow. "One bag? Is that all you have with you?"

"Huh? I... I thought my other things were already mailed here?"

"I thought so too, but we only received two boxes so far."

"Yes. That's everything."

Dojima was confused. And Takashi was confused at his confusion.

"Nevermind. Hop in."

.

On the drive home, they stopped at a gas station. Nanako got out of the car to use the bathroom. Takashi got out to stretch his legs, still a little cramped from the long train ride. He stared out at the road.

Takashi heard footsteps and a voice from behind. "Hi! Welcome to Moel."

Dojima spoke with the station attendant. "Give it a full tank, please. Regular's fine."

"Right away, sir! Are you going on a trip somewhere?"

"No, we just went to pick him up. He just moved here from the big city."

"The city, huh?"

Since they were talking about him, Takashi decided to be polite and join them. He turned around.

_Bones and claws painted the color of blood. It was so large it took up his entire field of vision. It looked like a messenger of Hell!_

"AAAHHHHH!"

Absolutely terrified, Takashi fell onto his butt and raised his arms to guard himself. His eyes were forced shut.

"Takashi! What's wrong?!" It was his uncle's voice.

Takashi slowly opened his eyes to look, and then he lowered his arms in surprise.

He wasn't in the Underworld anymore. He was back in the Moel gas station, as if he never left. The only people in front of him were Dojima and the station attendant, looking at him with concern. That enormous, horrifying entity was gone without a trace.

He looked all around the area. It really was nowhere to be seen. "Where... Where did it go?"

"Takashi, are you okay?" Dojima asked him.

"Huh? Um... Yes, I'm fine... I just thought I saw... a spider."

"A spider..." Dojima looked at him strangely.

The attendant burst out laughing. "Aha ha ha! Are all city boys as jumpy as you?" He bent over and clutched his sides.

Takashi lowered his head in crushing embarrassment. He was only here for a few minutes and he already revealed how bizarre he was from the get-go.

Dojima sighed. "I'm gonna go for a smoke." He walked away. He didn't say anything else to the boy, but Takashi felt like he ruined his chances with his new guardian.

The attendant stepped over to Takashi. "Sorry about laughing. I just never saw anyone get so spooked before. But I don't want you to think us country folk are unfriendly." He offered a hand to the fallen boy. "There's not much to do around here, but it's a nice place to live."

Takashi didn't blame him for laughing, but he felt a little better hearing the apology. "Thanks..." Takashi grabbed onto the hand and the attendant pulled him up to his feet. The attendant's hand was cold, but his grip was very firm.

"Oh, right! I still haven't filled the tank yet." The attendant rushed over to the pump. Takashi took another look around the area. He was still wondering about that image he saw.

"I only saw it for a second," he muttered softly. "Maybe it really _was_ my imagination this time..." He placed a hand against his head and leaned against the van.

Nanako returned from the bathroom and looked up at Takashi. "Are you alright?" she asked. "You look kinda pale."

Now that she mentioned it, Takashi was feeling a little dizzy. He started to worry if he caught a bug during the trip. It would explain a thing or two... Today was turning out to be the worst first impression he made in a long time.

.

**Author's Notes**: It seems a little strange to me when I see a Persona fanfic that "replaces" the protagonist with an "OC." You choose his responses in the game, so isn't he _built_ to be an Original Character anyway? I can understand though. You can hardly write about a blank slate in a narrative story. And then "The Animation" and "Arena" came out, to say nothing of the manga.

Even so, in the actual game, I interpreted the protagonist as a blank slate with no "default" name or personality. Many Atlus protagonists are like that. (Tatsuya Suou and Maya Amano are a notable exception, since they're only part-time silent protagonists.)

Anyway, if he can become any type of character, I eventually got the idea of making him into _pre-existing_ characters. And Takashi Natsume of "Natsume's Book of Friends" seemed like a wonderful candidate. There are already several overlapping elements in the two stories. Thus, the creation of this fanfic.

It feels weird calling him "Takashi" all the time. I always think of him as "Natsume." But it would be much more awkward addressing him by his family name and not Yosuke, Chie or the others. And yet I don't call Dojima "Ryotaro." I'm trying to be accurate to how the game does it, but it feels just a little bit weird.

.

**Glossary**: Anime fans probably know these terms already, but a refresher can't hurt.

Yokai - In "Natsume's Book of Friends," this is used as a catch-all term for gods, demons, nature spirits, monsters, possessed furniture, or any kind supernatural creature (though it seems to exclude human ghosts). Come to think of it... it's very similar to how Atlus uses "devil" or "demon" to describe all the summonable creatures in its games, even though it encompasses more than just devils and demons.

Note: Even though yokai is a catch-all term, for purposes of this fanfic, Shadows do not count as yokai/demons. Shadows are part of the human mind rather than separate, mythical creatures.

Tengu - A creature from Japanese mythology. Basically a bird-man noted for its long beak.

Soot sprites - Called "susuwatari" or "susukodama" in Japan. They can be seen in "My Neighbor Totoro" and "Samurai Sentai: Shinkenger." Though the ones in Shinkenger didn't look like they were made of soot, I'm _pretty_ sure they were based on the same creature.

.

_**A Few Months Later**_

"Onii-chan, come look," Nanako called him towards the TV. "It's a rerun of that show all the boys in my class like, Shinkenger."

Takashi watched over her shoulder. "What are those yellow, furry things hanging from the ceiling?"

"Soot sprites."

Takashi was confused. "They don't look anything like soot sprites."

Nanako looked at him with innocent interest. "What do soot spites look like?"

"Uh...! Well... I-I don't know, I'm just guessing...!"

.

**Disclaimer**: This story is a work of fiction. Any similarity to real persons or events is coincidental. Opinions expressed by characters within do not necessarily reflect those of the author.

This is a fan-written story that uses the likeness of "Persona 4" and "Natsume's Book of Friends" without permission. "Persona 4" is owned by Atlus and "Natsume's Book of Friends" is owned by Viz Media and Yuki Midorikawa (to my knowledge). I make no profit by posting this story online.

I also do not own "My Neighbor Totoro," "Samurai Sentai Shinkenger," nor any other franchises mentioned in this story.


	2. Home and School

**_An Evening at Home_**

April - 11 - 2011 - Evening

Dinner was served, though it was just a simple store-bought meal. They sat down at the small, square living room table.

Takashi clapped his hands together. "Thank you for the food." It was the first thing he said since they arrived at the house.

The level of quiet had been concerning Dojima for a while. After watching the boy for a long second, Dojima spoke with genuine sympathy in his voice. "Listen, Takashi... I'm sorry things didn't work out with my sister."

Takashi looked up with an innocent expression that could almost be described as cluelessness. "You have nothing to be sorry for, sir." He lowered his head again and casually picked at his food. "It's just the way things work."

"I see you're handling it well, but being shuffled all over the place, and then getting stuck in a place like this... It must be rough." Takashi watched Dojima and listened attentively, but didn't offer any kind of response. His expression didn't even flicker. "Well, it's only me and Nanako here, so it'll be nice having someone new around. And as long as you're here, you're part of the family, so make yourself at home."

He nodded. "Thank you, sir."

"And I told you before not to be so formal. I just said we're family."

Takashi diverted his eyes. "Sorry..." He didn't know what else to say.

Dojima observed him carefully.

.

_"We can barely feed our own family," his brother-in-law told Dojima over the phone. "It's just you and your daughter there, right? Can't you watch him for just a few months?"_

_Dojima sighed. "Alright, if things are that tight for you, I'll help." The cynical part of him wondered once again what his younger sister saw in this man. "What's the kid like, anyway?"_

_"Well," Dojima could tell from his tone that this wasn't something he wanted to admit, "he's polite, but he's very gloomy... He's always really nervous and jumpy, always looking over his shoulder. Sometimes he'll just freak out for no reason at all._

_"Oh, but he's not a bad kid," he quickly added, afraid he deterred Dojima. "He doesn't fib like everyone warned me he would. Just let him have his space and he shouldn't cause any trouble."_

.

A description like that, combined with knowing the kid never had a stable home, made Dojima think Takashi was abused when he was younger... No, that was just a cop's instinct looking for a case. Dojima had no evidence to hold against anyone. He couldn't make conclusions based on hearsay.

It would take several days to really get to know him. But watching him this afternoon... His sullenness... His panic attack at the gas station... It was hard for Dojima to ignore his gut.

Takashi was polite and smiled a lot, but it was a conscious effort to appear as a model child.

His cell phone ringing took Dojima out of his thoughts. He hadn't even taken the first bite of his food yet. "Ugh, who could be calling at this hour?" He checked the caller ID. It was the police station. He was being called in to work.

Dojima glanced at Takashi and sighed. He realized it would be a while before he could really spend time with this new family member.

.

**_First Day of School_**

_I had a dream that night._

_It was cold and damp. A thick fog covered everything in sight. It was too thick to see through._

_I walked along the stone path even though I couldn't see where I was going. I stumbled a few times. I realized I was in an enormous, open area. There was nothing around for miles except the mist. But the mist filled everything and pressed on my body from all sides. It was claustrophobic, but at the same time, I felt very, very alone._

_"It seems you can see a little, despite the fog," someone told me._

_"You see more things than others do... But 'seeing' does not mean you can find the truth."_

_I couldn't see who was speaking to me... and then I was alone again._

.

April - 12 - 2011

"Alright, shut yer traps!" The teacher yelled.

The classroom sat at attention. Mr. Morooka was a gangly man with a great overbite, but his personality was much worse than his looks. Takashi stood patiently at his side.

"This year, our school's got a new transfer student," Morooka announced. It was the first day of the semester, but Takashi was singled out among the new students because he was a second-year. "This punk used to live in the big city, but it seems he got dumped out here in the boonies 'cause of some family issues... Go on, introduce yourself!"

He bowed deeply. "It's nice to meet all of you. My..." As he stood up straight again, something caught his eye.

A tiny little spirit in white robes and a mask hovered in the air, observing the class. Apparently frightened that a human noticed it, it fled from the room by passing through the back wall.

Takashi quickly snapped out of his distraction. "Uh... My name-"

"HEY! DON'T THINK I DIDN'T SEE THAT!" Mr. Morooka pointed a finger at Takashi.

"Huh?!"

"You were staring at that girl in the back, weren't you?!"

"What? N-No, I-"

"Don't deny it!" Morooka yelled. "And let's get one thing straight: This town is _miles_ away from your big city of perverts, in more ways than one!"

_I'm a pervert now?_

Morooka was addressing not only Takashi, but the entire class. "I'm not gonna tolerate any fooling around, you hear? When I'm done, you're all gonna be as pure as the driven snow! A student's job is to _study_, not to go around ogling each other!"

The tiny spirit from before poked its head back through the wall. It was joined by two more spirits. Their masks were identical: three black dots arranged in an eyes-and-mouth fashion.

"That human is loud," the first one said in a squeaky voice.

"All humans are loud."

"The human with the big teeth is really, really loud."

"Big teeth must make humans louder." The three of them nodded, proud of their discovery.

Takashi resisted the urge to snicker.

The teacher's ranting went on and on. Judging from his classmate's expressions, Takashi figured they were used to Morooka's behavior and sick of it.

A girl with short, light brown hair raised her hand. "Um, excuse me? Can the transfer student sit down now? There's a seat available right here."

"Huh?" Morooka glanced at her. "Oh, yeah, whatever."

Takashi eagerly left the front of the class and sat next to the girl who rescued him. As Morooka resumed his lecture (if that's what you want to call it) the girl discreetly leaned over and whispered to Takashi. "Geez, King Moron's the worst, huh? Sorry you had to get stuck with him for homeroom."

Takashi nodded. "Thanks," he whispered.

"So when humans are quiet it's because their teeth aren't big enough," the tiny spirit hypothesized.

"Maybe if we pull that human's teeth out he won't make any noise at all?"

Takashi looked over his shoulder, hoping they wouldn't cause any trouble.

"HEY, PAY ATTENTION!"

"Ah! Sorry!"

.

**Author's Notes**: (7/23/2013) I don't know where those little spirits came from. They just popped into my head and I decided to run with them. I imagine they look similar to Mario's Shy Guys... or Megami Tensei's Poltergeists, that'd be more fitting.

**Disclaimer**: (Please see first chapter for full version.) I do not own "Persona 4" nor "Nastume's Book of Friends."


	3. New Friends in Town

_**New Friends in Town**_

April - 13 - 2011

The three students settled down at a table in the outdoor food court. Takashi used to think food courts were restricted to malls, not department stores like Junes. But then he realized he didn't know the specific difference between the two. So he didn't say anything.

Takashi sat next to Chie Satonaka. She was the girl who rescued him from Mr. Morooka's ranting the other day. Yosuke Hanamura carried a tray with three plates to them. Yosuke was the last transfer student before Takashi, so it was his idea for them to hang out together. Chie essentially invited herself.

He set a plate in front of Chie, but she wasn't impressed. "Did you have to bring us to your place?"

Takashi looked at Yosuke in confusion. "His place?"

"She only calls it that 'cause my dad's the manager." Yosuke dropped his smile and turned to Chie. "And I had to pick someplace cheap when you hopped on the freeloader train. If the food's not up to your palate, you can always buy something yourself."

"I thought this was your way of paying me back. Hello, my 'Trial of the Dragon'? It was my favorite DVD and you cracked it completely in half!"

"Yeah, and then you tried to crack _me_ in half, so we're even!"

"So how long have you two been friends?" Takashi innocently asked.

They stared at him deadpan. "'Friend' is a strong word," Chie said.

A shadow passed over the table. Takashi looked up and saw a group of birds flying high above them. He thought they looked blue, but he couldn't tell what breed they were.

_Once, I saw a blue bird. I looked it up in the field guide. I found out it was a kingfisher._

_Another time, I saw a blue dog. I looked it up in the field guide. I found out it didn't exist._

_The things I see may or may not exist._

"Natsume-kun...? Hey, Natsume-kun!" Yosuke waved a hand above his face.

He snapped out of his reverie. "I'm sorry, what?"

"You were totally spaced out there for a second," Yosuke said with a smirk.

"Y-Yeah, I was just lost in thought."

"Yosuke was really spacy when he first transferred here, too." Chie casually wondered, "Maybe it's a city boy thing?"

"I wasn't spacy," Yosuke protested.

Takashi was quiet for a moment.

"Um... I've been wondering this for a while... Why does everybody keep calling me city boy?"

Yosuke looked confused, and faintly disappointed. "Aren't you from the big city like me?"

"Yes. I mean, I did live there, but it was only for a short while. So I can't really say I'm 'from' there."

"Okay. Where _are_ you from then?" Yosuke asked.

Takashi thought back. "Well, I lived in a few different places in that city, and in the neighboring town, too... But I was born close to the mountains. The first few houses I lived in were all out in the countryside." He looked over the food court. "They told me Inaba was a country town, but it's a lot more urbanized than I expected."

"Sounds like you've been all over the place," Chie said. "I guess that's how you adjusted to this town so fast."

"I'll say," Yosuke said with a tone of awe. "I thought _I_ had it bad when I moved here last fall. What exactly do your parents do, anyway?"

Takashi looked at Yosuke with surprise. "What?"

"Their jobs. What do your parents do for a living that keeps dragging you all over the place?"

Takashi lowered his head. "Um..."

Eventually he said, "I don't have any parents."

All the blood drained from Yosuke's face. "Oh, god. I-I'm so sorry."

"Nice going!" Chie hissed to him.

"No, it's okay," Takashi said. "I got over it a long time ago."

"So... Uh... Who are you staying with now?" Yosuke asked timidly.

"Oh, yeah, it's that detective from the other day," Chie remembered. "He said he was your uncle, right? I didn't realize he was your guardian too."

"He's more like my uncle three or four times removed... I'm not really sure how he's related to me. I've been shuffled between so many relatives, it's hard to keep track. I can't really remember because I never get to stay with any of them for very long..."

Yosuke and Chie were silent.

Takashi realized what he just said and forced a smile. "Oh, uh, forget I said that. It's no big deal."

"Well... Uh, Chie, do you have any interesting topics?"

"Um... Oh! As a matter of fact, I do. I recently heard about this rumor." She regained her enthusiasm. "Have either of you heard of the Midnight Channel?"

"Midnight Channel?"

"Yeah. It seems it's getting really popular lately. It only comes on at midnight during a rainy evening. If you stare into a TV set that's turned off, another person's face will appear next to your own reflection. According to my friend, that person... is your soulmate."

Yosuke stared at her for a second. Then he burst out laughing. "What the heck? For a moment there, I thought you were gonna say something serious."

"What's that supposed to mean? That's exactly how I heard it!"

"That's just a stupid urban myth. No better than those chain letters that threaten you with bad luck."

Chie pouted. "Okay then. It's gonna rain tonight. Let's all watch it and you can try to prove me wrong."

"Are you joking?" Yosuke turned to Takashi. "Hey, Natsume-kun. Do you believe in any of that supernatural junk?"

He calmly smiled and said, "Nope. Not at all."


	4. Yosuke's Shadow

_**Yosuke's** **Shadow**_

April - 15 - 2011

The lighting was bad inside the replica liquor store. Most of the illumination came from the glow of the TV monitors hanging over their heads. The screens only had static.

It looked like a real store at eye level, but there was no roof. This was nothing more than a movie stage made to imitate Saki Konishi's life.

Everything about this world was abnormal.

"_It's all Junes' fault_," said a disembodied voice. It was a woman Takashi didn't recognize. "_That store is running the rest of the shopping district out of business._"

"_Did you hear Konishi's daughter started working there?_" said another woman's voice. "_Even though her own family is suffering. I feel so bad for her father._"

"_Saki, don't you know what the neighbors are saying about you?!_" It was a man's voice this time. From the context, Takashi assumed it was Saki's father. "_Don't you realize how humiliating it is for my own family to work for the competition?! What are you thinking? Is it for the money? Or because you met some guy there? Just tell me why you have to work THERE of all places?!_"

Yosuke's lip quivered. "Teddie," he whispered, "what is this? Why are we hearing these voices?"

"I don't really know," the bear answered. "All I know is that this place was reality for the person who came here."

"You're telling me this is how senpai saw reality?!" Yosuke snapped. "THIS is what life was like for her? Having to hear all of this?!"

After Saki died, Yosuke kept thinking about how much he wished he confessed to her. Takashi only knew Yosuke for a few days, but he still knew that Yosuke liked Saki very much. And now the problems his family's store had caused her were being shoved in his face. It must have been painful in a very personal way, Takashi thought.

"I knew... I thought people gossiped about senpai behind her back," Yosuke said. "But she acted like it never bothered her. No matter what happened, she acted like... Why didn't she tell me?! If she was hurting, I could have..."

Yosuke shouted into the sky. "What else didn't she tell me?!"

"_I never got the chance to tell Hana-chan..._"

Yosuke gasped. This time, Takashi recognized the voice. It was Saki's voice.

All the TV monitors suddenly came to life. Yosuke and Saki at work. Yosuke and Saki at school. Yosuke and Saki walking on the road together. Each screen showed a short, soundless clip and them together.

"_I never got the chance to tell Hana-chan_," the voice repeated. "_Even though I always wanted to... Even though he was always with me... I never had the courage to tell him how I really felt._"

She sounded so sad. Now that the true Saki was dead, all that was left was her regret for the things not accomplished.

"How she... felt?" Yosuke whispered. He stared at the TVs in shock. "About me?"

The short clips repeated over and over. Saki's time with Yosuke never seemed to end.

"_I acted like he was just a friend. But the truth is... Hana-chan was... really annoying_."

The words didn't register with Yosuke at first. "W... What?"

"_Of course, I could never say that to the manager's son. But whenever I was polite to him, he took it totally the wrong way and got so enthusiastic. He's so stupid..._

"_Why do I have to be nice to the manager's son...? Why do I have to care about Junes at all...? Because of that store our business is failing, my parents hate me, the neighbors talk behind my back..._

"_I'm sick of it... I wish everything would just disappear!_"

As if responding to her wish, the TV screens switched back to static.

"This... This is a joke, right?" Yosuke said. "This can't really be 'reality' for Saki-senpai... right?!" He hung his head low. "This is..."

"It's so sad. I feel so sorry for myself. Boo hoo."

Takashi and Teddie looked at Yosuke in surprise. Yosuke was just as confused. He hadn't said anything, but that sarcastic, mocking quip was made in _his_ voice.

The trio turned around. Standing at the entrance of the replica liquor store was a person wearing Yosuke's school uniform. He had Yosuke's headphones and his same hairstyle. He wasn't wearing glasses, and the eyes were bright yellow, but every other part the intruder looked _exactly_ like Yosuke.

"W-W-What the?!" Teddie looked back and forth between them. "Two Yosukes?!" Even though he lived in this world, he never saw anything like this before.

The other Yosuke laughed. "Then again, I'm the one who thinks everyone is really annoying, right?"

Yosuke took a step back in fear. "Who are you?!"

"I'm Yosuke," he said with a sneer. "'Yosuke' is the one who hates this town and everyone in it... So that's me."

"What? I don't..." Yosuke diverted his eyes. "I don't think that."

"Who are you kidding? Inaba is the armpit of the universe. That's what you thought the very first day you moved here. Your parents and classmates like it here, but that's stupid. They're stupid. There's NOTHING here! It's a freaking WASTELAND in the middle of nowhere!"

Yosuke flinched. This imposter somehow recited words that were only supposed to exist in his head. It scared him. He couldn't understand why this was happening.

"You're bored every single day. Back in the city, you found something exciting just by walking down the street. But out here in the country, it's like you're wasting away... But then again, isn't that such a stupid thing to be upset about? 'I'm so bored I could die?' 'If I'm not having fun I'll die?' There are people in the world with _real_ problems, so what right do you have to complain?"

Yosuke was frozen. He couldn't speak.

Takashi looked at the other boy. "Hanamura-san..."

"And now you're getting your panties in a bunch 'cause your crush never said how much everything pissed her off?" the other Yosuke continued. He laughed. "You hypocrite! Seriously, what's wrong with you?!"

Yosuke finally found his voice. "S-Stop it."

"You could _never_ say any of this out loud. Then no one would like you. Then you'd be alone and even _MORE_ bored. You just play the role of happy-go-lucky 'cause you're scared of being alone! But then you found this place. A world inside the TV! Now that's exciting! Your life suddenly turned into a sci-fi movie. If you play your cards right, you could even become a superhero! ...You really lucked out when Saki-senpai died here. It gave you the perfect excuse to check out this world."

"That's not true!" Yosuke was horrified at the thought. "I didn't 'luck out'! I didn't want that...! Who the hell are you?!"

The other Yosuke smirked. "I already told you. I'm you... I'm your 'Shadow'... That's why I know everything you're thinking."

"You're wrong! I don't think like that!"

Black mist suddenly spilled out of the other Yosuke's body. He laughed hysterically. "C'mon! Say it again!"

Yosuke clenched his fist and shouted at his imposter.

"You are... not me!"

The laughter intensified, the smoke swirled around like a storm. The wind knocked empty bottles off the shelves and grew stronger. Yosuke and Takashi had to brace themselves to keep their footing, but Teddie was blown away like a beach ball. Eventually, the wind was so strong it knocked down the cardboard walls of that fake room.

The black mist was so thick the boys couldn't see through it, even with their special glasses. From the center of it, the other Yosuke cried out, "You're wrong! This _is_ you!" The smoke cleared away in a flash. "_THIS IS WHAT YOU LOOK LIKE!_"

Shadow Yosuke was massive. It would have broken through the roof if there were one. Four giant legs stomped on the ground. The skin was a dark camo print. Growing out of the monster's back was a more humanoid torso, with a big red scarf, large cartoony arms, and a pitch-black face. It looked ridiculous, monstrous, and ugly.

Yosuke stared at it and thought in despair, _Is this really what my soul looks like?_

"I am a Shadow... the true self... I'll crush anything that bores me - starting with you!" It swung its mattress-sized fist towards Yosuke.

Takashi shoved Yosuke out of the way. The hand crashed through the ground where Yosuke used to stand and left a decent crater.

"Izanagi!" Takashi experimented with his new power again. The ghostly Persona appeared for a moment and shot a bolt of lighting into the monster. Shadow Yosuke staggered and collapsed.

Teddie ran up to the boys. "Sensei! Yosuke! Are you two okay?"

"I think so," Takashi said as he got up to his knees.

"He isn't me..."

They looked down at Yosuke. "That thing... isn't really me..."

He was so shell-shocked by his imposter's words, he didn't seem to register the physical danger going on around him.

"I think it was telling the truth," Teddie said sadly. "That thing came out of your heart, Yosuke."

"You're wrong!"

Shadow Yosuke got back to its feet and cackled. "You hate everything! You're so-called friends are just playthings you use to drown out your anxiety! If they get boring too, they can go to hell for all you care!"

"No! That's not what I'm like," Yosuke screamed. "I'm not a bad person!"

He got back to his feet and started running. Shadow Yosuke tried to run after him, but Takashi got in the way. "Izanagi!" The Persona appeared again and used his massive knife to parry the monster's fist.

"You can't run!"

The TV monitors came to life again. Yosuke saw and froze. This time they showed Yosuke standing next to his bike, talking with Takashi. It was the first time they met.

"At first I thought he was like me," Shadow Yosuke spoke for his other self, copying his thoughts precisely. "If he was another city-boy like me, I thought he would understand what I was going through... But I was wrong! He moves around so often, he probably adjusted to this place like it was no effort at all! And on top of that, he has this awesome power! He can summon a Persona! He has everything I don't! I _ACT_ like I'm his friend, but I'm not! I resent him more than anyone else! I hate him!"

This time, Takashi froze.

Yosuke covered his ears and shook his head hard. "STOP IT!"

Painful memories bubbled up in Takashi's mind.

_"You're a liar, Natsume!" "Get lost!" "We're not friends anymore!" "You're lying!" "Go away!" "I hate you!"_

Takashi was so distracted, Izanagi faded away.

WIND OF OBLIVION!

Shadow Yosuke summoned a tornado that threw Takashi through the air like a ragdoll. He landed hard and skidded across the ground.

"Natsume!" Yosuke saw the other boy, but didn't move. He didn't know what to do. His feet were frozen to the spot. Finally, he just crouched down and forced his eyes shut. He tried to block everything out and prayed he would wake up.

"But this isn't a dream!" Shadow Yosuke yelled. It leaped across the field and landed in front of the panicked Yosuke.

"Yosuke! Sensei! Yosuke! Sensei!" Teddie looked back and forth between his fallen friends. The little mascot ran up to Shadow Yosuke and banged his furry fists on the monster's hind leg. "You're gonna be bear-y sorry if you don't stop it right now!"

"Bug off." Shadow Yosuke kicked Teddie away.

"Ouchiiiiiiiiiie!" Teddie cried as he flew through the air.

Takashi struggled to get to his feet. He looked up and saw the Shadow ready to attack Yosuke.

"Hanamura-san!" He ignored the pain in his back and ran over to the other boy as fast as he could.

"Good riddance!" Shadow Yosuke launched his giant fist towards his other self.

Takashi wrapped himself around Yosuke and took the blow.

His vision swam. Everything grew dark. But even though his eyes stopped working, Takashi could still see something. He didn't recognize it, but it still seemed very familiar.

_What's happening_, Takashi wondered. _Yosuke's memories... are flowing into my head..._

.

_"Everyday is the same thing. Wake up, go to school, go to work, and then spend all my free time at home."_

_"Am I really alive?"_

_Takashi Natsume saw Yosuke Hanamura. He was a boy becoming a young man. He loved music. He owned a guitar, but only fiddled around with it once in a while. He listened - didn't know how to compose._

_He was sorta popular in his old home. Good looking. Well-to-do parents. Didn't have a girlfriend yet, but he hung out with a lot of people, both genders. He wasn't at the top or the bottom. Just normal. That's all there was to it._

_His dad's work made him move to Inaba. The town wasn't bad, but Yosuke thought it was very, very... empty. He missed the hustle and bustle of the city. He missed the noise of the crowd he hung out with. So he put on his headphones and turned the volume up. Yosuke didn't want to be alone with his thoughts... so he just stopped thinking._

_Junes Department Store caused a lot of smaller family businesses to close down. Because he was the 'son of Junes,' people sometimes said nasty things about Yosuke. But it wasn't like he was blatantly bullied. No one ever threatened him or vandalized his stuff. It was just gossip - and it wasn't even from a lot of people. Yosuke was miserable, but he didn't have an excuse to complain. If he complained, no one would take it seriously._

_He was just a bored teenager. That's all._

_Even if he explained his problem, no one would understand it from his perspective. No one would 'save' him..._

_Saki Konishi struck up a conversation with him first, not the other way around. She didn't seem to mean anything by it - Yosuke just happened to catch her attention. That's all it was. But it was more to Yosuke._

_Saki never said anything bad to him. And even when the gossipers turned to her, she never lost her smile. No matter what happened, Saki never let it get her down._

_Yosuke wasn't jealous at all. He admired her. Saki was someone special to Yosuke, and he longed for the day _he_ could be someone special to _her_._

_"BUT THEN HE KILLED HER!"_

_Saki Konishi's body was found hung upside-down on a telephone pole, less than three days after a similar murder._

_"THAT BASTARD KILLED SAKI-SENPAI!"_

_And suddenly his other problems just didn't matter anymore._

.

Takashi's eyes shot open.

"Persona!"

Izanagi reappeared. And with him, a bolt of lighting came from the sky and struck Shadow Yosuke.

As it reeled from the attack, Takashi got back to his feet. He glared at the behemoth.

"Damn you to hell...!" Its body still crackling with electricity, Shadow Yosuke struggled to get back up. It swung one of its giant legs towards the human.

"Persona!" he called again.

ZIO!

Shadow Yosuke was electrified down to its core. "AAAAAAHH!" It collapsed like a broken toy and black mist seeped out of its body. It stopped moving.

Takashi let out a deep breath. The fighting was over. He turned around and looked down at Yosuke.

Yosuke looked back up at him. That monster exposed his true thoughts towards Takashi. His jealousy... His pettiness... Yosuke was so ashamed. "I... It wasn't..."

"You really liked Saki-senpai, didn't you?"

"Huh?"

Takashi extended his hand to Yosuke. He wasn't mad. He was actually smiling.

"Yeah... I did." Yosuke accepted the hand and pulled himself to his feet.

He expected Takashi to abandon him, but he didn't. Knowing that, it was suddenly easier to tell the truth. "That thing was right about a lot of stuff. I do hate it here, and I _am_ jealous of you... But I didn't want senpai to die. I didn't! My feelings for her were real."

"All your feelings are real... I don't think there's anything wrong with that."

Those were the exact words Yosuke needed to hear. He could let people see his flaws and still be accepted. He wasn't alone after all.

Yosuke turned towards his other self.

The last attack had dissolved Shadow Yosuke's body. The black tar-like substance was fizzing away. Lying in the center of that was the humanoid other Yosuke, looking like a baby duck caught in an oil spill. He had no more fight left in him.

"That thing is a part of me," Yosuke said as he stepped through the black tar. "I may not like it, but that means I'm not really 'me' without it."

Yosuke stopped in front of his imposter. The other Yosuke looked up with yellow eyes.

"You are me," Yosuke said calmly. "When you get down to it, all of this is 'me'."

The other Yosuke smiled weakly. Then in a flash of light, he vanished along with the residual shadows. In its place was a tall figure with a white jumpsuit and a long red scarf. Its name was Jiraiya.

"Is this...?" The light faded into Yosuke's body.

"Looks like you got a Persona after all," Takashi said.

"Good for you, Yosuke," Teddie said as he rejoined the group.

Yosuke turned back to Takashi with an embarrassed smile. "Natsume, I can't thank you enough. And... I'm sorry, for what my Shadow said. I really am."

"It's okay." And Takashi meant it. "You know... I think I understand what you were going through... at least a little."

.

**Author's Notes**: (10/5/2013) Sorry for skipping around a little. But I imagine most of the people reading this have played P4 and understand what's going on. I may write Natsume's first trip into the other world later, but right now I'm just focusing on whatever scene I'm in the mood for. Though, you can feel free to make requests.

Some people seem to look down on Yosuke's Shadow because his issues aren't as serious as the other characters. One of the things I wanted to express was that Shadows, and trauma in general, can't really be judged objectively. It's all about how it affects you _personally_. It's like Carl Jung said: "The most terrifying thing is to accept oneself completely." And who's a bigger expert on Personas than Carl Jung? (laughs)


End file.
